Lost in thought

“There used to be more of us, my dad said…”

“He also said that I’m a Purple Faced Langur, but I’m not quite sure what that means. I mean, I’m a monkey and I love that I was born as one, so why do I need another label? Anyways, apparently there are five tribes of ‘our kind’ all separated by colour. What an outdated concept. Everyone should focus on chilling and having fun, chasing each other across the treetops (don’t touch the ground - the floor is Lava) and just eating the youngest leaves and the freshest fruits - Jackfruit rules! What more would you want from life?”

‘Not So Fun’ Facts

“The problem is that these human creatures are everywhere. They keep cutting down the trees and most of us have nowhere to go because we love trees and the trees are our homes! I guess that’s why dad said there used to be more of us, because less trees means less monkey homes. Humans are really mean when we visit their homelands and rooftops. They chase us away and hurt us, even though all we want is to be friends. I know it all sounds like gloom and doom, but, I’m going to stay positive, munch on some jackfruit and believe that everything will be fine one day… soon!”

Story of the photo

Surprisingly this shot was not taken at a Mahoora Tented Safari Camp where they would usually be seen. Instead, this juvenile leaf monkey was spotted at Kushan’s home garden in Colombo in early 2020. This cheeky fellow is a frequent visitor to his garden and while he isn’t a menace, his visits are a clear indication of the habitat loss his species have been forced to endure and adapt to.